VILLAGE Report vol.10 Gunma Prefecture | Kiryu Ori, a Weaving City Carrying on Seven Techniques

The third installment of the Kanto edition takes us to Gunma Prefecture. Gunma has two national traditional crafts, Isesaki kasuri and Kiryu textiles. This time, we look at Kiryu textiles from the weaving town of Kiryu, once praised as “Nishijin in the west, Kiryu in the east.”

From Ashiginu to Banner Silk: 1,300 Years of Records

According to the Kiryu Textile Museum, Shoku Nihongi records that in 714 (Wadō 7), Kamitsukeno, present-day Gunma Prefecture, presented ashiginu silk to the imperial court. Kiryu also preserves a legend that Princess Shirataki, who married into the area from the capital, introduced weaving there.

At the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, it is said that 2,410 bolts of banner silk were presented to the Tokugawa side from 54 villages in the Kiryu domain, raising Kiryu’s reputation. In 1738, high-loom techniques were transmitted by weavers from Nishijin in Kyoto, making it possible to weave sophisticated figured textiles. During the Meiji period, Kiryu also turned its eyes to overseas markets, including the creation of habutae for export in 1879. After the war, in 1948, more than 3,000 looms were restored through a loom restoration project.

Seven Techniques Designated as a Traditional Craft

Kiryu textiles were designated a national traditional craft in October 1977. The designated techniques introduced by Kiryu City are the following seven.

• Omeshi weaving: woven with strongly twisted yarn to create fine surface texture, or shibo, on the fabric
• Weft brocade weaving: patterns are woven with weft threads of different colors
• Warp brocade weaving: patterns are woven with warp threads of different colors
• Futsu weaving: a double-faced structure in which the colors of the pattern are reversed on the front and back
• Floating-warp weaving: patterns are expressed by floating the warp threads
• Warp-kasuri figured weaving: combines kasuri-dyed warp threads with figured weaving
• Gauze weaving: warp threads are intertwined to make a translucent fabric

A major feature of Kiryu textiles is that a single production area has worked with such a wide variety of textile structures. These techniques are used not only for obi belts and kimono fabric, but also for products suited to modern life, such as neckties and stoles.

Key Points
・Records remain that Kozuke presented ashiginu in 714
・It is said that 2,410 bolts of banner silk were presented at the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600
・In 1738, high-loom techniques were transmitted from Nishijin, making Kiryu a production area for figured textiles
・In October 1977, seven techniques were designated as a national traditional craft

Last time, we visited Mashiko ware in Tochigi Prefecture. VILLAGE Report vol.9 Tochigi Prefecture is here.

References: Kiryu City, Kiryu Textile Memorial Hall, Kiryu Textile Cooperative Association, Association for the Promotion of Traditional Craft Industries

—The Value Village Editorial Team

Photo: Shenchen13 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)